Tray-like container



March 5, 1968 J. J. HAINEY TRAY-LIKE CONTAINER Filed Feb. 1, 1966INVENTOR.

- Jaaeya/i (1H BY Max United States Patent Ofifice 3,371,843 PatentedMar. 5, 1968 3,371,843 TRAY-LIKE CONTAINER Joseph J. Haiuey, Pawtucket,R.I., assiguor to Winthrop- Atkins Co., Inc., Middleboro, Mass., acorporation of Massachusetts Filed Feb. 1, 1966, Ser. No. 524,305 8Claims. (Cl. 229-34) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A tray-like containerhaving a fiat bottom and hollow rim members peripherally thereof. Therim members are dimensioned so that they can be collapsed to lie flatagainst the bottom and when erected are automatically connected to eachother by interengaging locking elements provided for the purpose.

conventionally, merchandise containers have twodimensional sides and anopaque cover. It has been found,

however, that the use of an opaque cover often proves unsatisfactory inthat it obscures merchandise and makes it inconvenient for customers tosee what is in the container. Moreover, opaque covers encouragecustomers to handle merchandise, causing it to become shopworn quickly,while customer removal of covers often damages them. Conventional opaquecovers are sometimes provided with transparent windows so that themerchandise may be viewed without removing the cover, but too muchcontainer strength is sacrificed if the windows are large enough topermit full view of the container contents. Moreover, such covers areexpensive to make.

It has been found that better results are obtained if the cover isomitted altogether and the container is wrapped with a transparent filmof cellophane or other plastic. This permits full view of the containercontents and prevents customer handling of the merchandise. However,conventional containers are ill-suited for wrapping with a thin,flexible, transparent film because their sidewalls or rims easily bendinwardly. Accordingly, this has led to the development of tray-likecontainers which have three-dimensional rims which are better suited forwrapping with a thin, flexible, transparent film because of 7 theirgreater rigidity. Three-dimensional rims also offer the additionaladvantage of extra surfaces upon which printed advertising or decorationmay be placed to inform or attract prospective customers.

Despite these inherent advantages, the three-dimensionally rimmedcontainers heretofore constructed have proved unsatisfactory, first,because they have been unduly expensive to construct and heretofore, asmade, they have not been sufficiently strong. Moreover, in mostinstances they have been bulky and not collapsible for inexpensiveshipping when empty or, if they can be shipped collapsed, they aredifficult to assemble' Furthermore, the means designed to hold them inassembled condition often detracts from the appearance of the containeror fails to hold the assembled container rigid.

Objects of the present invention are to provide a traylike container ofthe type having threedimensional sidewalls or rims which is both strongand inexpensively constructed; which, when empty, can be shippedcollapsed;

and which can be assembled quickly, easily, and securely locked inassembled condition without detracting from the appearance of thecontainer.

According to the present invention, the container or tray is made from athin cheap sheet material, for example cardboard, and comprises a bottomand raised, hollow side-walls or rim members at the edges of the bottom,each of said rims comprising an outer wall integrally hinged to thebottom; a top wall hinged to the outer wall; an inner wall hinged to thetop wall; an anchoring strip hinged to the inner wall and permanentlysecured to the bottom; and a diagonal brace strip hinged to theanchoring strip and extending to the intersection of the top wall andouter walls.

The width of the top wall of each rim, plus the width of its inner wallis substantially equal to the width of the outer wall plus the distancebetween the intersection of the bottom and outer walls and theintersection of the anchoring strip and inner wall, thus making itpossible for the rim to collapse for shipping. The rims are connected atthe corners (where they intersect at right angles) by interlocking meanscomprising, for each intersection of rims, a first tongue having anaperture therein, said first tongue being an extension of the top wallof one rim and extending into the interior of the intersecting rim, anda second tongue, integral with the bracing strip of the said last-namedrim, said second tongue having a barb-shaped portion which, after havingpassed through the aperture in the first tongue, cannot be withdrawn andthereby permanently connects the tongues and lllTlS.

For the purpose of illustration a typical embodiment of the invention isshown in the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the fully erected container;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary section, to larger scale, on the line 22 of FIG.1;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary plan view of the blank from which the containeris formed;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary plan view of container ready for shipping anderection;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary plan view of the fully erected container;

FIG. 6 is a section on the line 6-6 of FIG. 5; and

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary section on the line 7-7 of FIG. 5.

The container is formed from a unitary sheet-material blank such asshown partially in FIG. 3. The sheet material of which the container ismade, usually cardboard, is preferably scored as indicated by thedot-dash lines in FIG. 3, to define the hinges when bending takes place.

In the particular embodiment of the invention chosen for the purpose ofillustration the rectangular container comprises a flat bottom 1 having,at its edges, raised hollow rims, two parallel rims being designated bythe character A and the other parallel rims designated by B (FIG. 1). Asshown in FIG. 2, each hollow rim A desirably comprises an outer verticalwall 2 hinged to the bottom; a horizontal top wall 3 hinged to the outerwall; a vertical inner wall 4 hinged to the top wall; an anchoring strip5 hinged to the inner wall and secured, preferably by adhesive means, tothe bottom 1; and a brace 6 hinged to the anchoring strip. When thedevice has been set up (FIG. 2), the brace 6 extends diagonally, fromthe intersection of the outer wall 2 and top wall 3, to its junctionwith the anchoring strip 5 and thereby prevents inward motion of theside A of the erected container. The rims B are identical inconstruction with the rims A; for convenience in description, elementsof the rims B, corresponding to elements of the rims A, will hereafterbe designated with primes.

Because they are integrally hinged together the parts 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and6 are foldable about their hinge lines, which permits the rims A and Bto be collapsed for shipping or mailing. When collapsed the rims willhave minimum bulk, thus reducing the cost of shipment. When the rims arecollapsed, the outer walls 2 and 2 are substantially coplanar with thebottom 1 and the top walls 3 and 3' are substantially coplanar with theinner walls 4 and 4'. Accordingly, it is desirable so to dimension eachthe collapsed rim that the width of the top wall 3 or 3 plus the widthof the inner wall 4 or 4 is substantially equal to the width of theouter wall 2 or 2' plus the distance between the intersection of thebottom 1 and the outer wall 2 or 2 and the intersection of the anchoringstrip 4 and 5' and inner wall 4 or 4.

The rims A and B intersect to form 90 corners. The end edges of innerwalls 4 and 4' are in abutting relation when the container is erected.Thus in the blank, as shown in FIG. 3, the ends x and y of walls 4 and4, if extended, would intersect at right angles. Likewise, the end m oftop wall 3 if extended would intersect the end n of the wall 8 at anangle of 135, so that in the erected container they form a mitre joint(FIG. 5). A tab 7 is formed integral with the end of outer wall 2.

At each of the intersections of rims A and B, interlocking means isprovided to fasten the sides together and to maintain them in an uprightposition. While adhesive or other permanent interconnecting means,familiar to the art, could be used to hold the parts in erectedposition, it is preferred, in accordance with the present invention, toemploy mechanical, automatically acting interlocking elements, integralwith the blank, to connect the parts when the container is erected.

As shown in FIGS. 5, 6 and 7, the interconnecting means at each cornercomprises a tongue 8 which is an extension of the top wall 3 of the rimB and which is provided with a substantially triangular aperture 9, anda tongue 10 which is an extension of the bracing strip 6 of theintersecting rim A. The tongue 10 has a barb-shaped or hook portion 11having an arcuate guiding edge 12 which curves from the point of thebarb 11 to the tip of the tongue. When the container is set up thisbarbshaped portion 11 extends through the aperture 9 of the tongue 8 andinto the interior of rim A and thereby pertn'anently connects thetongues 8 and 10. The interlocking elements, as shown in FIG. 5, arelocated within the interior of the hollow rim A where they are protectedfrom harm and hidden from view. When the container is set up, the endportion of wall 3 overlies the tongue 8 so that the latter is flexeddown and thus exerts resilient upward pressure against the tongue 10thereby assuring that its barbed portion 11 remains extended through thehole 9 and will not be disengaged therefrom.

Interconnected in this manner, the container rims are substantiallyrigid, being permitted only a negligible amount of inward or outwardmovement, since the interconnected tongues 8 and 10 prevent outwardmovement of the rims B, while the side edges of the tongue 8 effectivelyact to restrict inward or outward movement of the rims A, serving asstops beyond which the outer wall 22 cannot move inwardly and the innerwall 4 cannot move outwardly. Inward movement of both rims A and B isfurther restricted by the bracing strips 6 and 6'. Crushing of thecorners of the container is prevented by the tabs 7 which stiffen andbrace the ends of outer walls 2 and 2'.

Formation of the container from the blank takes place in two stages. Theinitial stage comprises, first, bending strips 5 and 6 of each rim Aupwardly on line a (FIG. 3) in, and then folding them over until theylie flat; second, applying adhesive to the then upper surface of strip5; and third, bending strips 3, 4, 5 and 6 upwardly on line b andfolding them over until they lie flat and the adhesive on strip 5contacts the bottom 1 and adheres thereto. Similar steps are thenperformed on the rims B, where bends are made on lines a and b' andadhesive is put on strip 5' and sticks the latter to the bottom 1. Whenthis initial stage is completed, the container appears as shown in FIG.4 well suited for mailing or shipping because it is substantially flatat its thickest parts comprising only three plies of the cardboard.

The final stage of formation is accomplished, without further use ofadhesive, by first swinging rims A up about hinge lines w until thebracing strips 6 prohibit further inward movement. Second, the tabs 7are bent at right angles to the part 2' until they can be inserted intothe rims A. As the rims B are similarly erected by swinging up abouthinge line z, the tongue 8 of side-wall 3 automatically enters the rimA, first contacting and then sliding along and being depresseddownwardly by the curved edge 12 of the tongue 10. When the point of thebarbed portion 11 of tongue 10 reaches the aperture 9 in tongue 8, thebarbed portion slides up through the aperture and tongue 8 springsupwardly until it is arrested by contact with the underside of tongue 10thereby automatically and firmly locking the tongues together.

The container, now fully erected and ready for use, may be filled andwrapped with a transparent wrapper or covered with a conventional cover.

It should be understood that the present disclosure is for the purposeof illustration only and that this invention includes all modificationsand equivalents which fall within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A tray-like container consisting of a unitary piece of sheetmaterial, said container having a Hat rectangular bottom and a hollowupstanding rim extending along each respective edge of the bottom, therims at each respective corner of the container intersecting at rightangles, each rim comprising a vertical outer wall integral with thebottom, a horizontal top wall, a vertical inner wall, and an anchorageelement fixed to the bottom, the rims which intersect at any givencorner being connected by intereng-aged locking elements which areconcealed within one of the intersecting rims and which are integrallyunited to parts constituting elements of the respective rims.

2. A container according to claim 1, wherein each rim is rectangular invertical section and comprises an interior brace extending diagonallyand downwardly from the intersection of the outer and top walls to theanchoring element and wherein one of said interlocking elements is abarbed member constituting an extension of the brace of one of theintersecting rims and the other of said interlocking elements is anextension at the top wall of the other said intersecting rim.

3. A container made from thin sheet material comprising a bottom andraised hollow rims at the edges of the bottom, each of said rimscomprising an outer wall integral with the bottom, a top wall integralwith the outer wall, an inner wall integral with the top wall, ananchoring strip integral with the inner wall and permanently secured tothe bottom, and a bracing strip integral with the anchoring strip andextending to the intersection of the top wall and outer wall.

4. A container according to claim 3, wherein, in each rim, the width ofthe top wall plus the width of the inner wall is substantially equal tothe width of the outer wall plus the distance between the intersectionof the bottom and outer wall and the intersection of the anchoring stripand inner wall whereby the rim can collapse and lie flat.

5. A container according to claim 3, wherein the rims are united wherethey intersect by an interconnecting means comprising, for eachintersection of rims, a first tongue having a hole therein, said firsttongue being integral with the top wall of one rim and extending intothe interior of the intersecting rim, and a second tongue, integral withthe bracing strip of the said last-named rim, said second tongue havinga barb-shaped portion which extends through the hole in the first tongueand thereby interconnects the tongue and rims.

6. A container according to claim 5, wherein the firstnamed tongue isflexed so as to exert pressure against said second tongue whereby saidbarb-shaped portion of the latter tongue is locked in said hole.

7. An erectable tray which, when erected, has a fiat rectangular bottomand hollow rims, each extending along one edge of the bottom and eachbeing substantially rectangular in vertical section, said trayconsisting of a unitary piece of cardboard and, before erection, beingof a maximum thickness not substantially exceeding three thicknesses ofsaid cardboard, said tray comprising interengaging locking elements,concealed when the tray is erected, which automatically interengage asthe parts comprising the rims are erected, to lock the parts in erectedposition.

8. An erectable tray-like container in collapsed condi-v tion inreadiness to be erected, consisting of a unitary piece of sheet materialhaving score lines defining a rectangular bottom and other score linesdefining elements which, when the container is set up for use,constitute hollow upstanding rims, one rim extending along eachrespective edge of the bottom and each having a vertical outer wall, atop wall, a vertical inner wall and an internal diagonal brace, saidelements also including an anchorage member adhesively secured to thebottom, the outer wall of each rim of the collapsed container beingcoplanar with the bottom, and the top and inner walls of each rim beingcoplanar, the brace being interposed between the outer wall and bottom,and an apertured tongue projecting from that element which willconstitute the top wall of one of two rims which will intersect at agiven corner of the container, and a pronged tongue projecting from andcoplanar with that element which will constitute the brace of the otherof the two rims which will intersect at said corner, the top wall ofsaid last-named rim having a part which overlies the apertured tongueand depresses the latter when the container is set up.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,262,508 4/1918 Kaufman 229342,345,716 4/ 1944 Smith 229-34 2,448,679 9/ 1948 Meinhardt 229-342,645,353 7/1953 Anderson 229-34 JOSEPH R. LECLAIR, Primary Examiner. R.PESHOCK, Assistant Examiner.

